The Indian culture is one of strange sorts as it is so extremely diverse and so beautifully flexible. You might walk a few kilometers within a single city and witness a change in the culture and values, as for us in India, culture is greatly defined by family. The culture where I come from dictates it to be impolite to talk about oneself, but here I am making a formidable attempt to do so…

My name is Jai Narang and I am 17 years old, I am currently a student at UWCSEA Dover in Singapore. The journey of my schooling began in Mumbai, my hometown, a city where I was born and brought up and one that holds a very special place in my heart. I attended Bombay Scottish School up until Grade 8, which is when I became a boarding student at UWC. I remained a boarder for a total of four years before transitioning into a day student for my final year in grade 12.

A man is defined by what he is passionate about. My passions include a love for literature and reading especially books and authors from the Beat generation, which has allowed me to write poetry and prose both for pleasure and my school’s English magazine. I also greatly enjoy the lost art of letter writing, my friend and I have been sending each other handwritten letters of short prose for almost four years. Furthermore, growing up in India where cricket is considered to be almost a religion, it has played a very influential role in my life. I have represented my school on various occasions as well as greatly enjoy watching the game. I also enjoy a combination of different genres of music, mainly folk, jazz and R&B.

Life is not fair! And one faces many hiccups and obstacles on the path. Hence, The philosophy of hardwork and grit has been an approach that I have adopted and believe to be the road to success.

• Jai  Narang